I dunno, that seems to be at some story-building party scene, not necessarily her "iconic" wear...but I thought they were doing more of a 20's thing? That dress has a petticoat. thumbsdown. [then again she's at...a mansion? so, that might change things.]

D: Horton Hears a Who? I don't know, I liked the original movie a lot, it looked Suessian--I think the CGI will loose that.

I see your blogs and counter with an other. A Where The Wild Things Are movie. It makes me D:, but I am pleased that it's not CGI and done with puppets/costumes, which almost always look more realistic when mashed up to actual actors. [I say "almost always" because Pan's Labyrinth was pretty good, even though I could still tell, it wasn't glaring, cheap-looking cgi. And Sweeny Todd used the obviousness of the cgi as effect.]

ottermike - January 15, 2008 03:20 AM (GMT)

you can feel grateful for anything other than all CG Movies after this. I just posted the Horton poster because I never would have guessed France would borrow the term "It's the Bomb!" for their pop culture! Personally I don't want to see any Dr. Suess adapted movie that Chuck Jones didn't direct, but I'm a purist. Does that mean Bryan Henson or a relative is back at it w/the puppet thing?

Gloria - January 15, 2008 04:19 AM (GMT)

I just can't get over the fact that I've not seen any live action/cg mix that was actually convincing to me since the original Jurassic Park. Those animated dinosaurs have held up better than most things... and personally I think it's because they did use lots of puppets and put in the effort to make them match up.

There haven't been many 3D animated movies of late that have appealed to me (I enjoyed Over the Hedge, but that's because I knew it was based on a comic strip). In fact, American animation, for the most part, has become so obnoxious to me that it's got me liking Anime because it's funnier and they put more work into it.

ottermike - January 15, 2008 04:45 AM (GMT)

What about Europeanfilms? Many of Them still have charm when they don't add synth music to it ! :yuck: The Triplets of Belville is still pretty funny to this day though it doesn't make sense...

Then again, they do need to lighten up...(I can't get into the animal films of europe either...just toooo intense)....but so does Japan for the most part...I read a few mangas because any of the comics are more animated then their TV counterparts (but I'm mostly talking about the Shonen genre)...I see the Lion King being the best integration of 2D/3D art even though I can't stand the movie...

Gloria - January 15, 2008 05:40 AM (GMT)

Well, but of course! I remember seeing a trailer for Nocturna like 3 years ago... I forgot to check if the movie had been released yet. XD

And sadly, there isn't a lot of anime that actually appeals to me, since I'm not into vampires/monsters or giant battling space mecha. >_>

*lol* See, in the US you hardly ever heard about "boring" anime/manga series'. Most of the stuff they'll show on tv here has to be either spastic or artsy enough to appeal to the 18-25 age group.

Speaking of spastic/artsy... FLCL is on tv ATM. Heh.

Andrick - January 15, 2008 05:54 PM (GMT)

*ahem* Back on to the off topic topic, I like the dress... though I don't think it's you, Ottermike. You strike me more as a ruffles and lace with low-heel pumps type. *ducks*

ottermike - January 15, 2008 07:28 PM (GMT)

activity of the week...figuring out what the heck andrick just called me...

Ann Vole - January 15, 2008 10:48 PM (GMT)

Andrick seems to be dragging ottermike somewhere

As for CGI movie trends... lots of them have rat characters in them. Even "Horton Hears a Who". Even the Hans Christian Andersen tale "The Ugly Duckling (and Me)" stars a rat.

Gloria - January 16, 2008 12:30 AM (GMT)

Rats are the new penguins.

-JM - January 16, 2008 03:26 AM (GMT)

Well, Mike, I believe Andrick just said you are a kawaii~desu rorita-chan. But it needs more race!!!1 Mana would not be pleased, desu., just remember, you're not elitist, you just dress better.[oh~ the things I can hammer out at 10p-2am, don't understand it--OTTER IN A DRESS. The fact that I went and adjusted the hue and saturation of ottermike's avi so the otter looked like the model's head...it frightens me. *staring into the abyss that is his photoshop* I think I need to sleep, it's looking at me.]

I don't know who's working on WTWTA, but I know the Henson people are working on "Power of The Dark Crystal"; obvvy a Dark Crystal sequel. I'm anticipating it.

ottermike - January 16, 2008 03:46 AM (GMT)

I don't see HOW they can sequel Dark Crystal......

anyway I'm trying to erode away my consertive pariah state (well actually all I'm doing is learning about stuff like Eve and flock at the MacWorld conference...and I'll also try out one of those beds that does something to your brain and plays music while you sleep in it that some business have for their employees This isn't the exact model but it probably does the same thing* lets see if it can stimulate a chrashed ADD brain any), but It aint easy when you've had fear & loathing of anything more mature than Oscar Otter instilled in you since childhood :(

So WAAAAAAY Back on topic...I just didn't think adding a black heroine and a princess at that was a big enough step. From that shot it looks like another take of Pochantas II :yuck: Why couldn't they have done something more in the Lion King setting? Then again most Princesses in those cultures probably wouldn't have had as much respect as a European one; but many did and are worth making movies out of! Oh well, as long as it's nothing stereotypical like a"Harlem Princess" sorta gag...I may still like or at least go watch it in support of the 2D Illusion of Life's return!

Gloria - January 17, 2008 06:25 AM (GMT)

Wistful princesses annoy me to no end.

...Which is why I tooootally did away with that whole business when I rebooted Twapa into modern-style all those years ago. : p

It's kind of ironic how Disney et. al. try to be so politically correct and yet manage to make their heroines (who are, in theory, supposed to be modern role-models for young girls) into brainless, anti-feminist icons. Heh. There's nothing wrong, of course, with teaching etiquette and grace to girls, but the whole "princess" thing sort of ruins it because it leaves out the fact that in the REAL WORLD a "princess" has to work hard, learn skills (which may be tedious and unpleasant, like algebra and how to make fast-food sandwiches), and deal with repeatedly having her heart broken by guys who are NOT handsome, polite princes.

... And they wonder why I turned out to be such a tomboy?

Medieval Pete - February 18, 2008 11:16 PM (GMT)

QUOTE (Gloria @ Jan 14, 10:53:50 PM)

Speaking of spastic/artsy... FLCL is on tv ATM. Heh.

I've got the collectors box set of FLCL, as well as Samurai Champlu and a Ghibli collection. But then again, I've got my mountain of DVDs, half of which are animation, so yeah...

um...yeah...moving on

The princess thing is troubling, granted in animation its roots go back to Disney's Snow White, which was made at a time when parts of society still thought girls should act like that and be put on a pedestal, so on and so forth. As much as I love princesses I agree that in this day and age they have outlived any serious cultural relevance and moved on to be more effective as a medium of ridicule of airheads and conservativism, or else used as the exact opposite of what is expected of a princess.

When it comes to computer animation I think that we should remember that CGI in live action is sort of like the CIA in real life; when it does its job correctly you don't realise that it was there, but when it screws up everybody notices and throws a fit. Tat said, there is a time and place for everything. Making episodes of Futurama on time would be impossible without CGI. I loved its use in the Iron Giant, as well as everything else directed by Brad Bird. Yes, it has its limitations, and becomes extremely annoying when used as an excuse to be lazy in a feature length movie.

I don't see what the big deal is when its used in fantacy films. Sure, the ringwraith's mount/fawn's legs/polar bear and his armor/city's unbeleivably huge monuments and spires, etc etc don't look totally real. Big whoop, whens the last time you saw any of that stuff that was real? Would you rather that we go back to bluescreening Falcor and Atrayu in front of a pan of oil and cloudy water resisting each other?

Also, any gamers in here, if you really want to give up playing WOW, Counter Strike, Zelda Twilight Princess, Halo and just about every other game worth playing made in the last decade or so, then yeah, complain about cgi.

Seeing as the first few posts on this thread were blog links, I might as well post my own :P

Ok, thats an example of one that does not deserve cgi. If they are going to do a smurfs movie they should do traditional animation to make it look like the 80's tv cartoons, or the comic they were based on. The smurfs are just too iconic as 2d characters.

Gloria - February 21, 2008 07:02 PM (GMT)

...Why are they making a "Smurfs" movie? That's just smurfing dumb. : p

(Although hopefully it will be laced with thinly-veiled obscenities, like the tv show!)

ottermike - February 22, 2008 02:44 AM (GMT)

You don't half to wait for the movie for that, they already uploaded the lost episodes which I don't think 3D will add or take away from...

Medieval Pete - February 26, 2008 01:12 AM (GMT)

QUOTE (ottermike @ Feb 21, 06:44:50 PM)

You don't half to wait for the movie for that, they already uploaded the lost episodes which I don't think 3D will add or take away from...

hmm, but we might quarter to wait...

but I am quite certain that the smurfs will cease being smurfy if they are made 3d and get modernised and all that.

QUOTE ( Gloria)

(Although hopefully it will be laced with thinly-veiled obscenities, like the tv show!)

I prefer my cartoon obscenities unveiled, which is partially why I like South Park so much.